


The One with Lily and James Potter

by Lonelylilravenclaw



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drabbles, F/M, Friends to Enemies, Lily and James Potter - Freeform, One-Shot, idk what's going on help, no mention of their deaths but i think they do die in this universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25450525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonelylilravenclaw/pseuds/Lonelylilravenclaw
Summary: A collection of Drabbles from when the potters were at school.*Mild Swearing*
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Kudos: 8





	1. The one with the Amortentia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please find some fan art of this fic over on my instagram, @rosedewdrop_fanart

Potions was the only class that James Potter took alone.

Well, by alone, he meant without any of the Marauders. The other Gryffindors stayed away, apart from Lily Evans: potion superstar, class favourite, and James' crush. He had asked her out once a week since the beginning of time (otherwise known as first year) and she'd always refused him. But now they had to work together, as both of them knew no-one else in the class.

Today they were brewing Amortentia. "Now, who can tell me about Amortentia? " Slughorn asked, beaming as lily's hand shot up. "Its a love potion," she recited. "It smells like whatever you most desire."

James sighed. He'd always smelt lilies, which was good teasing material for Sirius.

Slughorn was nodding. "Very good. Can you tell me what you smell, Miss Evans?" Lily sniffed at the example. "I cant smell anything over potters aftershave, sir," she said, wrinkling her nose. Slughorn raised his eyebrows, but James cut in quickly. "I do go a bit heavy on it."

XxX

"Oookay?" Sirius said. "So you stunk out potions with that bloody aftershave. So what?"

James ran a hand over his face. "Sirius, did you smell 'that bloody aftershave' this morning?"

Sirius thought for a moment. "No."

"I ran out yesterday, Pads."

"Thank God!" Sirius exclaimed. Then his eyes widened. "You have to tell her! She has to know!"

"How, though?"

Sirius thought for a moment. "I have an idea....."

XxX

"Hey," James said, plonking down next to lily.

"Hey," she replied. She'd given up trying to head him off early.

"So, I was going to apologise for the aftershave thing, but..."

Lily raised an eyebrow coolly. "You better have a good excuse, Potter."

"I wasnt wearing any aftershave."

Lily's brow furrowed, then her eyes widened in imitation of Sirius. "What the hell, Potter!"

He sighed. Then lily poked him. "What did you smell?"

James grinned. "Promise not to tell?"

"Promise."

"Lilies."

"Bloody hell."

"Evans?"

"What?"

"Go out with me?"

"In light of recent events.....sure."

She waited for him to respond. Eventually she turned to face him.

He had fainted.


	2. The one with the broomstick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off a piece of fan art - which unfortunately I couldn't get hold of - this chapter is the story of the only time James Potter fell off a broom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist using Malfoys lines here! Can you forgive me?

James swooped down over the fields, rejoicing in the free feeling it gave him. The weeks' work had been tough; hs really needed to get away. Spotting a familiar shock of red hair, he turned his broom towards the lake.

Lily Evans was reading a book. Well, she said she was; she was really watching James Potter fly. _Woah, he really does have skill,_ she thought reluctantly. Her sworn enemy would have loved to hear that praise - he'd been trying to go out with her for months.

"Alright there, Evans?" His voice cut through her thoughts. She looked up in shock to see his face just inches from her own. James was hanging upside down from his broom, with weird effect. Lily fought to keep the smile off her face, searching for a cutting remark. 

"Training for the ballet, Potter?" She asked, raising a cool eyebrow.

James grinned. "Only if you'll dance too."

 _Aw,_ lily found herself thinking, that's kin _d of cute._ Horrified at herself, she snapped her book shut. "What do you want?"

"Guess."

"I swear, if you ask me out again I'll-"

"Accept?" He cut in hopefully. "Go on, Evans, just to Hogsmeade this weekend."

Lily examines her conscience. She did want to accept, but would that lose face? Astonishingly, she found she didn't care. "Promise not to fall off your broom?"

James rolled his eyes. "Would I ever? If you're going to hex me, make it quick. And creative. And not the jelly legs again, because they're supporting me. And soon, because all the bloods going to my head."

Lily grinned, leaned over, and kissed his cheek. Then she turned around to find her book.

There was a loud _flump._

James Potter, quidditch extraordinaire, seeking genius, flying einstein...had fallen off his broom.


	3. The One where Slughorn tries to be the bigger person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one references the Half-blood Prince
> 
> Background: Lily and Snape have had their epic fight, and Snape is hanging around with future Death Eaters. Lily still hates James, but they are sitting next to each other to show Gryffindor solidarity.

Potions really was the worst class.

James had been standing at his cauldron for the past forty minutes, waiting for the potion to turn the lilac colour it was suppose to. He looked over at Snape's, and saw it had already turned a pale pink, a stage past James'. Lily's potion was equally good, although not as pale as Snape's. James sighed. He worked in between the two best potioneers in the class, and he still couldn't make anything. Anything at all.

"Hey, Evans," he began, wondering whether he was going to be hexed. "How did you get yours to turn lilac?"

"Add the bean, obviously," she said, looking surprised. "All the juice reacts and turns it lilac."

James snorted. "Come off it, Evans, that bean didn't have as much juice as a raisin."

Lily rolled her eyes, sighing. Then she seemed to remember something, and her expression softened. "Oh, right, it's something I learned from Sev- Snape," she said, looking anxiously at the greasy haired boy behind James. "You have to crush the bean with a silver dagger."

He looked down at his cut bean, and then back up at the redhead next to him. "Can I borrow your silver dagger?"

"Suppose so," she huffed. She appeared to have remembered that she hated him, because the next thing she said was, "Just make sure you give it back, Potter. I don't want to hear you've gone and stabbed anyone with it."

Snape couldn't help himself, and sneered. He missed the times when he was allowed to laugh with Lily; but it was his own fault, and always would be. James whipped round with his wand out. 

"What was that, Snivellus?"

"Nothing, _Potter_ ," Snape spat. "Just me enjoying myself at your expense. Although that's not hard, you can't go thirty seconds without doing something stupid."

James' wand was beginning to glow. He was handy with a hex - something Snape had learned the hard way - and he wasn't willing to let Snape take this one.

Professor Slughorn sighed. There didn't seem to be a way to get the two boys to live alongside each other since Severus had fallen out with Lily. Before, James had always held it together in potions, for Lily he presumed, but now there didn't seem to be anything to stop him. Detentions meant nothing anymore. There was no way to reconcile his best potioneers, not after what Severus said, so he would have to reconcile James and Lily. And how? Why, through potions of course.

"Severus, James, put your wands away!" Slughorn yelled, waiting expectantly for Snape to apologise and stow his wand away. 

Snape stuffed his wand back into his robes, glaring at Potter. He didn't apologise. _Oh boy,_ Slughorn pondered, _We've lost him now. Poor old Lily. Stuck in the middle of a mini war._

xXx

"Miss Evans, Mr Potter, would you wait behind?"

James raised a cool eyebrow, and sat back behind his desk. Slughorn flopped into his chair, and Lily perched on the corner of the table - furthest away from James, Slughorn noticed. Oh dear.

"I noticed that Mr Potter was struggling a little with his potions. I was wondering if you, Miss Evans, could help him at all?"

Lily blanched, then her eyes narrowed. She rummaged in her bag, found the advanced potions textbook, and slung it across the room to James. "Read it."

James grinned and stuffed it in his own bag. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Uh, I thought, maybe, a . . . . study group or something?"

Both students turned white. "I'm not going to be alone with him, Sir," Lily scowled. "I can help in class, but not a _study group._ "

James shrugged. "Fine by me. We all know I'm failing potions anyway."

Slughorn sighed. So this wouldn't work. Next time, maybe. "You may both leave."

The students made sure to keep six feet of space between them as they exited. This was a long term project. 


	4. The one with the Patronus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, we all know Prongs. Did we manage to work out Lily's Patronus from reading the Deathly Hallows? Poor old Snape :(

"Ok, Ok, class, settle down!" Professor Flitwick called, his wand emitting a purple firecracker.

Lily stopped whispering to Marlene and sat up straight.

Flitwick smiled around, noticing even James Potter had stopped talking. _It must be one of those working days,_ he decided. Today was a good day to give homework.

"Today, we're going to be practicing the Patronus charm. It's a high-level spell, so don't worry if you can't produce a corporeal one - that's one with a defined shape. A silvery mist would get you an A, I think. So, the spell is _Expecto Patronum._ And make sure you're thinking 'happy'. A happy memory, please."

The room was filled with shouts of 'expecto patronum'. Flitwick noticed James Potter was chatting again. Oh well, he was good at charms anyway.

Lily was across the room, face flushed with the happy memory. "Expecto patronum!" Flitwick watched her eyes widen in shock as a silver doe erupted from her wand and cantered around the room.

He also watched as James Potter stood up and left the room.

xXxXx

"D'you think James is avoiding me?" Lily asked, tucking into the pork stew. 

The Gryffindor table raised its eyebrows. Marlene spoke, one eyebrow still high on her forehead. "Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

Lily looked up to see her entire house staring at her. "Uh, yes, but if he's avoiding me, that could mean he's planning something big. And that is a bad thing." _Good save,_ she congratulated herself.

Dorcas smiled. "I think he's in the library."

Lily sighed. "I think I'll go and ruin his plans, deduct ten points from Gryffindor, and probably find grounds for a detention."

Sirius grinned and whispered to Dorcas. "Galleon says they come back holding hands."

xXxXx

James Potter was in the library. Lily found him sitting over a book of charms. She had to admit, it was a surprise; James often refused to do homework, and somehow passed the exams with flying colours.

"Studying, Potter?" she couldn't help herself saying.

James looked up, and then back to the book. This had lily worried. He didn't often miss an opportunity to annoy her. Last time, it was because he had dragon pox in third year.

"James, are you avoiding me?"

The book snapped shut. "It's best if i do."

"How come?"

"Expecto patronum."

Lily nearly fell over in surprise when a stag began to run around the library. Paired patronuses? It couldn't . . . it wouldn't. . . .lily sighed.

James couldn't help himself saying, "Does this mean you'll go out with me?"

Lily grinned. "I have the perfect way to announce it."

xXxXx

Everyone was very surprised to see Sirius didn't win his Galleon. They appeared to hate each other more, if anything - over enthusiastic acting on both parts, they would find later. The next charms lesson was a surprise, then, when they sat next to each other. Once Flitwick finished explaining, the began whispering excitedly. Then James called out, "One....two....three!"

"Expecto patronum!"

The entire class gasped. The silver deer cantered around the classroom, looking all the world as if they belonged together.


	5. The One where No-one Knows They're Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, ok, this is going to be fun. 
> 
> ......Isn't it?

_**November 1978** _

"No."

"No?" James Potter turned towards his girlfriend. "No what?"

"We have to tell them!" Lily told the black haired boy. " I mean, they'll notice, won't they? And then...they could get annoyed!"

James snorted. "Annoyed? Them? Pur-lease. Not only would they all be grateful we're dating at all, and not doing that - probably painful - dance round each other, they wouldn't be much good as friends if we can't keep something personal a secret for a few weeks!"

"Weeks?!" cried Lily. "James, we've been dating since summer!"

" Uh-huh.... "

"That's over half a year, dumbo. Oh, Marlene is going to be so mad!"

" if she's going to be so mad, why tell her? " James reasoned. "I mean, when they found out we could always pretend we told some of them and trusted them to pass it on...."

" No! Where's the Gryffindor in you, _Potter_? where's all the 'brave at heart' stuff now? Come on, let's stop sneaking around! Youre right, they'll probably be relieved!" 

"Back to Potter, I see. Well, I suppose we can tell them - provided we just drop hints. It's a test of intelligence."

" Of course. Let's work on some cool ones then. "

"Wait, Lily Evans just agreed with me?!"

"Well, it's my job now isn't it? Keeping your childish brain happy?"

" don't ever lose your sarcasm, Evans . . . It's what they always say. "

"Hmph."

(/\\)

"Hey, guess what I heard!"

" what?! "

Everyone gathered around Sirius with an air of suspicious curiosity, something he was well used to. No One really trusted him, because of his Marauder connections; however, those selfsame connections made him a powerhouse of gossip, should he choose to share it.

"There's going to be a huge Christmas party, to commemorate the Marauders ' fantastic work at Hogwarts!"

Most people laughed and moved away, knowing they would hear more closer to the time. However, Sirius was beckoning the remaining few closer. 

"Everyone has to bring a date," he whispered conspiritally, knowing the news would spread like wildfire.

James rolled his eyes. "Who're you taking, then?"

" lovely girl, " Sirius said breezily. "Nice eyes. Mira Golding, she's called. Hufflepuff."

James nodded appreciatively. He knew this was an attempt to hook James up with lily; his friends were blinder than he'd bargained for, which meant he noticed the effort it must have taken his best mate to find a girl before springing all this on him.

"Who're you taking, then?" Sirius demanded, ignoring Lupins sniggers.

" Evans, " James said promptly. 

"Oh? You've asked her?"

" Good point. Should do that. "

He balled up a piece of parchment and chucked it at her. She didn't acknowledge him, so he yelled across the common room, "oi! Evans!"

Lily looked round in surprise at the direct address. She took it as the signal that their first hint was about to drop, as James intended her to.

She raised a cool eyebrow, "what?"

" Coming to the party with me? "

Lily couldn't help but laugh at james' confident nature, even when revealing a 6-month long secret relationship.

"Of course," she said in a time that clearly said, ' isn't it obvious?', and went back to talking to Marlene.

except Marlene wasn't talking back. She was grinning, ear to ear.

 _S he's brighter than I give her credit for,_ Lily mused.

M arlene's eyebrows could only mean one thing.

"How long?"


	6. The one where no-one knows they're getting married (lmao)

"Alright boys, get your dress robes! We're going OUT!" James Potter called exuberantly through the hallway.

Remus appeared in doorway of their shared house. "Seriously? How much energy and drinking potential can one eighteen year old have?"

"Loads!" he grinned, pushing the werewolf back into the house. "Get dressed, Moony, I _need_ you to come. Now I need to find Pads, he gets something extra this time. PADFOOT!"

XxXxX

James refused to tell them where he was going, but Side-Alonged them to a . . . . marquee?

"Woa, look at this!" Sirius cried, running his hands over the seats arranged in rows. Remus frowned. "Are you getting married, Prongs? Why a marquee?"

"Yup!" said James, to everyone's surprise. "Married, and you will never in five million years guess who the bride is."

They didn't, right until Lily Potter (nee Evans) walked up the aisle.


End file.
